A Utah mother who wrote a children’s book about coping with grief has been convicted of murdering her husband with fentanyl-laced drinks, prosecutors revealed. Kouri Richins, 35, published her book about loss just months before her arrest for killing Eric Richins in March 2022.
The Verdict and Evidence
A jury deliberated for three hours on Monday before finding Richins guilty of aggravated murder, attempted murder, and insurance fraud. Prosecutors presented testimony from more than 40 witnesses, including a woman who sold Richins the drugs used in the killing. The defense called no witnesses, and Richins never took the stand in her own defense. The court heard how Richins accumulated millions in debt, secured life insurance policies on her husband, and carried on an extramarital affair while planning her husband’s death.
Two Poisoning Attempts
Officials testified that Richins first poisoned her husband’s sandwich on Valentine’s Day 2022, nearly killing him. Eric Richins told a friend afterward that he believed his wife was trying to poison him. Two weeks later, Richins obtained additional fentanyl, prosecutors said. On March 4, 2022, she called the police, claiming she found her husband unresponsive after serving him a vodka drink in bed. A medical examiner determined Eric Richins died from a fentanyl overdose, five times the lethal amount.
Text Messages Reveal Drug Procurement
Court documents showed Richins texted a person with prior drug arrests between December 2021 and February 2022, requesting prescription pain medication. She received hydrocodone pills before asking for something stronger, specifically requesting fentanyl by referring to it as the Michael Jackson stuff. Prosecutors argued Richins falsely believed she would inherit her husband’s estate worth more than four million dollars and was planning a future with another man.
The Grief Book Deception
Richins published Are You With Me? in January 2023, two months before her arrest, claiming the picture book would help families cope with loss. She dedicated the book to her husband, calling him an amazing husband and wonderful father. Summit County prosecutor Brad Bloodworth stated Richins wanted to leave Eric Richins but did not want to leave his money. The aggravated murder conviction carries a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Richins leaves behind three children who lost their father to her calculated actions.